Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making waves across industries, changing the game in everything from healthcare to finance to entertainment. It's no surprise that AI is also starting to leave its mark on the world of Public Relations. But let's be honest: the initial reaction in the PR world was a mix of excitement and, well, a bit of skepticism.

Many PR professionals worry that AI might edge out the human touch essential to our field, especially in understanding nuanced emotions and addressing ethical concerns like data privacy. However, as AI technology evolves, we've seen firsthand at our agency how it can become an incredible ally. By integrating AI into our processes, we've enhanced our capabilities and freed up more time for creative and strategic work, making our efforts more intelligent and effective.

In this blog, we will dive into how AI is revolutionizing PR. We'll highlight the benefits, look at lingering concerns, and show why AI deserves a spot in every PR professional's toolkit. Spoiler alert: it's all about working smarter, not more complex, and making a more significant impact for our clients.

Understanding AI in PR

So, what exactly is AI, and how does it fit into the world of PR? At its core, AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. This can mean anything from recognizing speech to making decisions or even translating languages. In the context of PR, AI can be a game-changer, helping us analyze data to identify trends, automate tasks to save time, and personalize communication to enhance engagement.

There are a few key AI technologies that are particularly relevant to PR:

Natural Language Processing: This technology is a powerful tool in the AI arsenal, helping it understand and interpret human language. In PR, NLP can be a game-changer, enabling sentiment analysis to gauge public opinion about a brand or campaign by analyzing social media posts, news articles, and other text data. Just imagine the advantage of instantly understanding the public's mood towards a product launch or a brand challenge – that’s the power of NLP in PR.
Machine Learning: ML involves training algorithms to learn from and make predictions based on data. In PR, ML can help us identify trends and patterns that might take time to become apparent. For example, it can analyze past campaign data to predict which strategies will likely succeed.

Enhancing Efficiency and Productivity

AI is transforming PR by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time for professionals to focus on strategic and creative work.

Here’s how:

Automating Repetitive Tasks—AI excels at handling time-consuming tasks like media monitoring, data analysis, and reporting. AI tools can scan vast amounts of media content in real-time, identifying relevant mentions and trends, and ensuring we’re always up-to-date. It also processes large datasets quickly, uncovering insights that would take humans much longer to find. Reporting becomes more efficient with AI, generating detailed reports automatically.
Boosting Productivity- Research shows that AI significantly boosts productivity. For instance, a McKinsey study found that companies using AI report a 40% increase in efficiency. AI’s speed and accuracy in handling time-sensitive tasks are game-changers in PR.
Reducing Human Error and Enhancing Accuracy - AI ensures data consistency, free from human biases or errors. This level of accuracy takes a lot of work to achieve manually, especially with large datasets. AI tools also provide real-time updates and alerts, making PR professionals act swiftly and accurately, crucial in crisis management.

Enhancing Creativity and Content Creation

AI’s role in content creation is nothing short of revolutionary. From drafting press releases to generating social media posts and creating visual content, AI is transforming the creative process in PR.

AI tools can create visual content, such as infographics and videos, enhancing the overall storytelling experience. We also leverage AI to elevate our creative process. One of the most exciting ways we use AI is to create renderings of our ideas. Before presenting concepts to clients, we use AI tools to bring our ideas to life visually. This not only helps us see how our ideas will look in reality but also allows us to refine and enhance them.
The real magic happens when AI and human creativity work together. AI can handle the heavy lifting of data analysis and initial content drafts, allowing PR professionals to focus on refining and personalizing the content. This collaboration ensures that while the efficiency and speed of AI are utilized, the human touch and creative nuances remain intact.
AI also assists in content brainstorming. By analyzing current trends and audience preferences, AI provides data-driven insights that spark new ideas. This helps us stay ahead of the curve and ensures our content resonates with the target audience.

Ethical Considerations and Best Practices

While AI offers immense benefits, it’s crucial to address ethical concerns such as data privacy, transparency, and bias. Ensuring ethical AI use is essential for maintaining trust and integrity in PR.

Key Concerns

Data Privacy: Protecting sensitive information and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.
Transparency: Being clear about how AI is used and ensuring clients and audiences understand AI’s role.
Bias: Ensuring AI systems are free from biases that could skew data analysis or decision-making.

Best Practices

Regularly audit AI systems to check for biases and ensure accuracy.
Maintain transparency with clients about how and when AI tools are used.
Stay informed about and comply with data protection regulations.

At Devon, AI is new to our work and it’s crucial to conduct regular audits and our commitment to transparency helps us deliver reliable, ethical, and innovative solutions for our clients.

Conclusion

AI is not just a trend; it's a transformative force in PR. At Devon Communications, we've embraced AI to enhance our work, combining it with the essential human touch. As we look to the future, AI will continue to revolutionize PR, offering new opportunities for growth and innovation. Let's embrace AI as an ally and lead the way in this evolving industry

From April 27th to the 29th, Burt’s Bees marked its 40th anniversary with a vibrant BURThday pop-up event in Toronto. This milestone attracted 2,250 enthusiastic attendees, eager to join in the festivities and explore the natural, science-backed Burt’s Bees brand.

The Game Plan

Our goal was to engage, educate, drive sampling and trial while showcasing the brand’s top innovations. With a strategic lens for IRL experiential and a robust content platform for digital/ social use, we built a series of dedicated public and private programs for consumers, micro and macro content creators, press, and Shoppers Drug Mart retail partners! This activation focused on building affinity and awareness amongst the brand’s top target audiences - Gen Z and Millennials - and was designed to communicate this brand’s modern look and feel with engaging experiences.

The Highlights

On April 27th, Burt's Bees kicked off its 40th BURThday with a preview of the pop-up leveraging micro content creators from TikTok and Instagram platforms before the public launch. After this one hour livestream event teaser, Burt’s Bees welcomed a line up of enthusiastic attendees eager to explore the brand. Over the weekend, 2,250 invitees and organic consumers joined us to learn about Burt’s Bees formulations from expert educators, spin the wheel to win skincare prizes, witness a live lip lab station on how Burt’s Bees lip balms are made, and decorate Toronto’s popular KWENTO cupcakes - a subtle, engaging, and mutually beneficial brand partnership. A key part of establishing authority as a brand based in nature and backed by science was to involve the brand’s leaders through on-site customer education and conversation:

Dr. Hemali Gunt, Head of Clinical & Scientific Affairs at Burt’s Bees
Abena Antwi, Associate Research Director & Product Designer at Burt’s Bees
Christine Jackson, National Education Manager for Canada & US at Burt’s Bees

Thoughtful content-worthy moments inspired guests to engage and share organically on their own pages, including a colourful three-tiered KWENTO birthday cake and a lifesize six-foot Burt’s Bees lip balm! All guests left with Shoppers Drug Mart coupons, a cupcake, and a skincare and lip care formula of their choice.

Inside the Experience

Influencer Sleepover:

On the evening of April 27th, top content creators from across the GTA attended a sleepover-themed event in the pop-up's upstairs space. Influencers arrived in gifted, brand-adjacent PJs and enjoyed a night of curated brand immersion. The evening featured a pizza party, signature Bees Knees cocktails, and an insightful presentation by Burt's Bees leadership. KWENTO led a fun cake decorating class, culminating in a two-tier cake for everyone to enjoy. The event provided ample opportunities for influencers to create engaging content, highlighting the scientifically-proven benefits of Burt's Bees formulas and representing the brand's exciting skincare, sun protection, and makeup innovations.

Media Overnighter:

On April 28th, beauty editors from five major Canadian publications attended an overnight stay at the Ace Hotel in Toronto. This intimate media relationship-building gathering included a three-course dinner and insightful discussions about Burt's Bees' history and innovations, led by the product experts and brand leaders Dr. Hemali Gunt, Abena Antwi, and Christine Jackson. The evening fostered meaningful conversations and quality facetime with key industry players, laying the groundwork for anticipated editorial coverage in leading fashion and beauty publications like Châtelaine, The Kit, Hello! Canada, Yahoo! Canada, and Fashion Magazine.

Retailer Sessions:

We hosted the brand’s major retail partners from Shoppers Drug Mart on April 29th to wrap up the weekend. These sessions included a delicious spread of Mandy's Salads, an educational product innovation presentation, and a cake-decorating class. The participants were highly engaged, and the feedback was extremely positive, reinforcing and personalizing this key and mutually beneficial retail partnership. Attendees returned with knowledge of the new Burt's Bees innovations, full-sized core SKUs to experience, branded crewneck sweaters, and toiletry bags.

Impact and Reach

This pop-up garnered 281 social posts, surpassing the goal of 150. This coverage resulted in over 5 million impressions and $2 million in media value. While the pop-up was consumer-focused, the coverage secured across influencers, micros, and consumers connects organically and directly to our Gen Z and Millennial audience in their own diverse voices. Overall, the BURThday Pop-Up was a fantastic celebration of Burt's Bees' 40-year brand journey, and an impactful, authentic brand anniversary campaign.

THE BRIEFING